The rerun of the Walewale parliamentary primary faced another setback today, ending inconclusively after police seized the ballot boxes.
According to Citi News, this incident marks the second disruption of the Walewale elections. The day was further marred by sporadic disturbances, including reports of military personnel assaulting individuals at the voting centre.
Dr Kabiru and his team had raised concerns about the venue due to inadequate official communication regarding the arrangements. Despite expectations for transparent sorting and counting, the process took place behind closed doors in a church room. The election committee chairman reported that an unidentified individual disrupted the process, and authorities have since arrested this person.
Dr Kabiru, an aspirant, criticised the handling of the election and questioned the democratic integrity within the NPP. His supporter, constituency chairman Mohammed Muniru Janda, observed that Kabiru appeared to be leading during the sorting process before the disruption. Janda also expressed concerns about ballot security and the fairness of the rerun. The tense situation in Walewale raises the possibility that the NPP might lose the constituency or fail to field a candidate, which could give the NDC an advantage.
Voting, which had already been delayed for several hours, concluded around 5 p.m., but police intervened shortly after, removing the ballot boxes and halting the sorting process.
Background:
The High Court in Tamale recently annulled the NPP’s Walewale parliamentary primary. Initially, the court declared Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru the winner of the contentious primary, which led to legal disputes. An injunction issued on June 24 barred Dr. Kabiru from presenting himself as the NPP’s parliamentary candidate. The court ruling on September 2, 2024, cleared the way for new nominations.
SOURCE:Citinewsroom
